VASSY Also Confirmed For Concert and Festival Following Equality March for Unity and Pride

Washington, D.C., May 9, 2017 – Multi award-winning singer, songwriter, and actress Miley Cyrus will headline the 2017 Capital Pride Concert presented by HOT 99.5 & PRIDE Radio. Headliners will also include Tinashe, The Pointer Sisters, and VASSY. The Capital Pride Concert will be held on Sunday, June 11, beginning at 1:00 pm on America’s Main Street, Pennsylvania Ave. at 3rd St., simultaneously with the Capital Pride Festival presented by Live! Casino & Hotel, which begins at 12:00 noon. Capital Pride is assisting and coordinating with The Equality March for Unity and Pride to ensure a safe and successful march on Sunday, June 11. The Equality March route will end in the vicinity of the Festival and Concert.

Miley Cyrus is known the world over as a dynamic singer, songwriter, producer, and actress, who has won numerous awards from her peers and fan-base alike. A self-defined pansexual, Cyrus having a presence at the Pride Concert this year, with the numerous assaults on LGBTQ equality and rights, is noteworthy because of her response-based approach to LGBTQ issues, particularly related to youth homelessness. Cyrus founded the Happy Hippie Foundation, whose mission is to rally young people to fight injustice facing homeless youth, LGBTQ youth, and other vulnerable populations.

June Crenshaw, Executive Director of the Wanda Alston Foundation, looks forward to Cyrus bringing awareness locally and nationally on this critical issue. “The Wanda Alston Foundation applauds Miley for her leadership with bringing awareness to the LGBTQ youth homeless epidemic. LGBTQ youth are more than 40 percent of the homeless youth in the Nation’s Capital. This means on any given night, hundreds of LGBTQ youth are sleeping on the streets, sleeping in cars, couch surfing, or exchanging sex for a place to sleep. We are excited Miley is bringing her voice to the effort of protecting our most vulnerable youth and helping to eradicate LGBTQ youth homelessness.” The Wanda Alston Foundation provides 18 months of housing and supportive services to homeless LGBTQ youth.

Kentucky-born Tinashe thanks her dedicated fan base for her rapid rise and acclaim after the 2012 release of her popular mixtapes. Known for a progressive blend of R&B, hip-hop, and electronica spark, Tinashe’s first studio album, Aquarius, was released in 2014, and inspired several award nominations including “Best New Artist” at the BET Awards in 2015. Two additional studio albums, Nightride and Joyride, have been released and well received since that time. At 21, Tinashe is vocal about the anti-bullying movement in high schools, having experienced it first-hand, and has publicly urged youth to, “Keep your chin up. Don’t let people get to you.”

The Pointer Sisters are three-time Grammy Award and three-time American Music Award winners for pop, disco, electronic, R&B, and soul hits they’ve shared with the world over the decades, beginning in the 1970s. From “He’s So Shy,” and “Jump (for My Love),” to “Automatic,” and “Slow Hand,” their success can be attributed to their talent, range, and energy.

VASSY is the electronic dance music sensation and ambassador to the NOH8 campaign promoting LGBTQ equality through education, advocacy, and awareness. Her music incorporates elements of dance, reggae, and soul, with the single, “We are Young,” reaching No. 1 on the US Billboard Dance Chart, a first for an Australian’s debut solo single release.

“We are unapologetically proud to join with Miley Cyrus, Tinashe, and all of the headliners at the 2017 Capital Pride Festival! This is sure to be an awesome weekend full of great music and lots of fun,” said Tommy Chuck, Program Director, HOT 99.5.

The annual Capital Pride Festivalpresented by Live! Casino & Hotel and Capital Pride Concert presented by Hot 99.5 draw over 275,000 attendees, and take place on Pennsylvania Avenue with the United States Capitol as the event backdrop. There are more than 300 exhibitors, three music stages, beverage gardens, a family zone, and numerous food options. Among the many booths will be AARP DC, AFGE, Gallaudet University LGBTQA Resource Center, George Washington Cancer Center, and Whitman-Walker Health.

The Capital Pride Alliance, through its stewardship of diverse programming and events, specifically year-round LGBTQ+ Pride festivities centered in Washington, DC and the National Capital Region, serves to celebrate, educate, support, and inspire our multi-faceted communities in order to grow and preserve our history and protect our rights for current and future generations. Learn More